Judged strictly on production based on dollars earned, it is hard to imagine another player in the NFL who provided a bigger bang for the buck than Victor Cruz. His 2011 salary was $450,000 and for that money he broke the Giants’ franchise record for receiving yards, put together one of the greatest pass-catching seasons in team history, and electrified fans with his big plays and end zone salsa dances.

Well, nothing lasts forever, and it sounds as if Cruz is anxious to shed the “underpaid’’ label attached to his name.

“I think I was paid, you know, relative to where I came in this year and, you know, I came in as a free agent so that’s the salary I was on, so I don’t feel like I was underpaid,” Cruz said on Pro Football Talk Live. “I mean, I feel like after my performance this year, you know, I feel like I deserve to be paid more money at this point. But that’s something I’ll let my agents and those people take care of and I’ll just go out there and play the game.”

Cruz is scheduled to make $490,000 next season. After catching a team-high 82 passes for a franchise-record 1,536 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns, Cruz was named winner of the Vizio Top Value Performer Award, given to the player who accomplishes the most while making the least money.

“It’s a good problem to have,’’ general manager Jerry Reese said yesterday. “You win a Super Bowl and everybody thinks they’re the reason we win. That means you won it. It’s just part of the offseason. There are always contract issues in the offseason.’’

Another contract issue belongs to Osi Umenyiora, who prior to last season sought a trade if he wasn’t signed to an extension. Umenyiora has one year remaining on his deal for $3.975 million. He wants to remain but also wants to get paid.

“We’re in the early stages of the evaluation,’’ Reese said. “Osi’s under contract, we’ll discuss everything as a staff and discuss all issues that can possibly come up for us and we’ll come up with a game-plan and see how things work out for us.’’

* Reese anticipates Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum, tight ends who had to leave Indianapolis on crutches following Super Bowl XLVI, will both start the 2012 season on the physically unable to perform list, meaning they would have to miss at least the first six games.

That makes sense, considering that the earliest any player comes back from knee surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament is about eight months, which would put both Ballard and Beckum out of action until October at the earliest.

“We’ll see how they are health-wise after the surgeries and see how quickly they can get back,’’ Reese said yesterday. “Just from my perspective right now they’ll both probably be guys who end up on PUP at the beginning of the season and we’ll see how healthy they can recover from these injuries they have.’’

Reese admitted the pro personnel department “is a little bit behind’’ because of the Super Bowl run but quickly added, “It’s a good problem to have.’’ Free agency begins March 13 and Reese promised the Giants will be ready.